Of . – 10.3.2022 16:08 (act 10.3.2022 20:36)
Serbia may change visa rules for certain countries. ©APA/AFP/ATTILA KISBENEDEK (icon image)
There may be a change regarding Serbia’s visa rules. According to Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer (ÖVP), there was a commitment to toughen the rules for countries where a lot of illegal migration to the EU comes from.
According to Chancellor Karl Nehammer, Serbia has promised to tighten its visa rules for countries where much of the illegal migration to the EU comes from. As the chancellor explained after a migration summit with Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán in Budapest on Monday, Serbian regulations must be “adapted to the requirements of the European Union” at the turn of the year. Vučić said: “Serbia should not be exploited by those who do not come for professional reasons, but for illegal migration to the West.”
Nehammer: Serbia’s promised visa tightening
This year, Austria has seen a sharp increase in illegal entries from some non-European countries whose citizens can travel to Serbia without a visa. There was no concrete information at the press conference on which countries of origin would be affected by Serbia’s stricter visa rules at the turn of the year. However, it was said in the environment that stricter regulations for particularly affected countries such as India or Tunisia are in the pipeline.
Migration: Nehammer, Vučić, Orban announced trilateral meetings
The three leaders announced new trilateral follow-up meetings on migration, with a view to increasing refugee flows along the Balkan route. In addition to talks at the official level, there should be a ministerial meeting in Belgrade in the coming days and then a high-level meeting in Vienna, Orbán told reporters.
The Hungarian head of government, who has been known for his tough migration policy since the 2015 refugee crisis, called for three measures: “Move the protection line as far south as possible” – first from Serbian-Hungarian to North Macedonian -Serbian border and then more. Furthermore, the European Union must assume responsibility for the repatriation of migrants who do not receive asylum. And thirdly, hotspots outside the EU must be created, where only asylum applications for the Union must be submitted.
Nehammer: “The EU’s asylum system has failed”
Nehammer largely agreed with Hungary’s demands. The EU must act as a community towards countries of origin and conclude joint repatriation agreements. The chancellor hopes that a “win-win situation” can be created through economic cooperation and “working together on an equal footing”. In addition, the protection of European borders must be strengthened, he demanded. At the same time, Nehammer again rejected the distribution of asylum seekers within the EU. “The EU asylum system has failed. This is beyond dramatic,” he said. The Member States concerned would now have to bear the consequences.
The chancellor was also asked about recent reports that Austrian police were involved in mistreatment of migrants at the Serbian-Hungarian border. Nehammer replied that complaints are always investigated: “We have to wait and see the result.”
Serbia announcement
For his part, Vučić emphasized: “Serbia doesn’t want to become a hotspot, we don’t want immigrants to park here.” The Serbian President announced that an action plan will be drawn up at the follow-up meetings. Since the refugee crisis in 2015, Serbia has not received any concrete offers from the EU to manage the migration situation, but it has not been criticized either, he said.
Austria: more than 56,000 asylum applications
From January to August 2022, 56,149 asylum applications were made in Austria. This means an increase of 195 percent over the same period last year. Origin countries Afghanistan and Syria are still at the top of annual statistics, but countries like India and Tunisia have recently seen a dramatic increase of more than 20 times, according to the Federal Chancellery. There are increasing requests for asylum from people who, because of their country of origin, have virtually no chance of asylum, he said.
Hungary takes a tough stand against illegal migration
Hungary and Serbia have been severely affected by the flow of refugees along the Balkan route for years. During the 2015 refugee crisis, Hungary erected fences on its southern borders with Serbia and Croatia and has since taken a strong stand against illegal migration. The European Court of Justice (CJ) has repeatedly condemned the country for this, and NGOs have complained of mistreatment of asylum seekers and rejections (rejections) to Serbia for years. Since 3 August 2020, Austria has sent police officers to the Hungarian-Serbian border to work in “mixed patrols”. The number should now be increased from 50 to 70 officers.
The Hungarian border fence must now be lifted and widened, the Federal Chancellery said in the run-up to the summit. It is currently 175 km long and 4 meters high, so it should now be extended by 11 km and increased by one meter.
Illegal border crossings
According to official data, 178,000 illegal border crossings were blocked from January to September this year on Hungary’s southern border. In 2021, the number was 122,000 for the entire year. According to the Belgrade Asylum Assistance Center, more than 65,000 refugees were registered in Serbia in the first seven months of the year. According to the head of the centre, Dragos Djurovic, there are on average around 10,000 refugees in the Balkan country, of which only 4,500 are housed in reception camps.